Dallas County Health and Human Services reported three deaths and 1,663 additional confirmed cases of COVID-19 today, Dec 7.  The county reported 1,237 total deaths to date. The total confirmed cases are 136,293.

The county is also reporting a total of 13,552 probable cases and 39 probable deaths.

The additional deaths today include:

A man in his 60’s who was a resident of the City of Dallas. He had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A woman in her 80’s who was a resident of the City Lancaster. She had been critically ill in an area hospital and had underlying high risk health conditions.

A man in his 90’s who was a resident of the City DeSoto. He had been hospitalized and had underlying high risk health conditions.

The city of Sachse has not released an updated report since Friday.

The provisional seven-day average of daily new confirmed and probable cases (by date of test collection) for CDC week 48 has increased to 1,069, which is a rate of 40.6 daily new cases per 100,000 residents—the highest case rate in Dallas County since the beginning of the pandemic. The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for SARS-CoV-2 has increased, with 22.3% of symptomatic patients presenting to area hospitals testing positive in week 48 (week ending 11/28/20).

Since November 1, there have been 5,320 COVID-19 cases in school-aged children and staff reported from over 770 separate K-12 schools in Dallas County, including 849 staff members. Thirteen K-12 schools in Dallas County initiated temporary closures of their campuses to in-person instruction this past week due to COVID-19.

There are currently 97 active long-term care facility outbreaks. This is the highest number of long-term care facilities with active outbreaks reported in Dallas County since the beginning of the pandemic. Over the past 30 days, a total of 927 COVID-19 cases have been reported from these facilities, including 309 staff members. Of these cases 42 have been hospitalized, and 29 have died, including 2 deaths of staff members. Twenty-two outbreaks of COVID-19 in congregate-living facilities (e.g. homeless shelters, group homes, and halfway homes) have been reported in the past 30 days associated with 168 cases, including one facility with 87 confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Of all confirmed cases requiring hospitalization to date, more than two-thirds have been under 65 years of age. Diabetes has been an underlying high-risk health condition reported in about a third of all hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Of the total confirmed deaths reported to date, about 23% have been associated with long-term care facilities. New cases are being reported as a daily aggregate, with a more detailed summary report updated Tuesdays and Fridays.

Local health experts use hospitalizations, ICU admissions, and ER visits as three of the key indicators as part of determining the COVID-19 Risk Level (color-coded risk) and corresponding guidelines for activities during our COVID-19 response. Due ot weekend reporting, new data will be available tomorrow, Dec. 8.

“Today we report 1,663 new COVID positive cases and three deaths. I’m seeing some signs that people are taking the warnings seriously and minimizing their time around others outside of their home. If we all will make incremental changes to improve our response to COVID, thinking not just about keeping ourselves safe, but about making our community and our country stronger until the vaccine can have its effect, we will come through this in as strong of a position as possible.

This holiday season there is still so much to be thankful for even in this difficult year. I’m thankful for the opportunity to serve you and I’m thankful for the spirit of North Texas that consistently rises to meet its challenges and is meeting this challenge. We will get through this, and this worldwide pandemic, that has claimed the lives of more 280,000 Americans and damaged the local US and world economies, will end. When we do, I want each of us to be able to look back with pride and say that they made the little sacrifices and the changes in holiday traditions to do their part to keep their fellow person safe and their country strong during that difficult time,” said Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins.

From Staff Reports • [email protected]